I think what Andrew Lloyd Weber was doing really did glorify God, but in a way I wonder if he even read the Bible to get the real story! Jesus does not fall in love with any one! He came for one purpose and that was to save the lost! If he fell in love with Mary...then that would be totally wordly and of the flesh!

I know there is a diffrent version on which it does follow the bible pretty well.

I do not like this version very much.......just because of that fact!~

Thanks!

Love, danc4him

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Yeah. In the Bible Herod never asked Jesus to walk across his swimming pool.
It was a actually a hot tub.

What was ALW thinking?

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Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:46 pm

Theaterfan101

Broadway Legend

Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:46 pmPosts: 509Location: Here, on MdN

ultra_lilac wrote:

Yeah. In the Bible Herod never asked Jesus to walk across his swimming pool.It was a actually a hot tub.

What was ALW thinking?

<3

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Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:14 pm

The Pirate King

Off-Broadway Lead

Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:23 pmPosts: 218Location: Oswego, IL, USA

Have you even seen or heard anything from this show? Jesus doesn't fall in love with anyone, I promise you.

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In fact, I seem to remember someone pointing out several Biblical instances that JCS matched perfectly, with verses next to the events. I'm compiling my own list, but if someone wants to help, that'd be real nice.

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Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:31 pm

krisavalon

Off-Broadway Lead

Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:50 pmPosts: 242Location: Orange County, CA

I'm not aware of a different version, but most of the lines from JC Superstar were taken from (or are variations of) verses in the gospels. There is some creative license, of course. According to the Bible, it was Pilate's wife who had the dream, and not Pontius Pilate. There is no scripture (obviously) about Judas appearing posthumously to Jesus, but that was thrown in there just to have a place for the song, which was originally released as an audio single. There is no indication in JC Superstar of Jesus actually being in love with Mary Magdalene or anyone else for that matter, but it does imply that Mary was a prostitute, which is not Biblically accurate.

There is no scripture (obviously) about Judas appearing posthumously to Jesus, but that was thrown in there just to have a place for the song, which was originally released as an audio single.

But he doesn't appear posthumously to Jesus in the show. Many productions have him onstage at the same time as Jesus, but the work itself gives the song to the "Voice of Judas," ie, the actor is done playing the role and now performs the song not in character but as the "everyman" of today. The song refers to events that won't happen for hundreds of years - it's clearly not actually Judas making a guest appearance from the other side, later that day.

krisavalon wrote:

it does imply that Mary was a prostitute, which is not Biblically accurate.

But it is tradition. And since the show accepts the tradition of Mary Magdalene as one and the same with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, it's valid enough to be included also. (It also makes sense aesthetically to connect the two separate annointing-of-Jesus episodes, which JCS does in "What's the Buzz/Strange Thing, Mystifying" and "Everything's Alright.")

Strange how it's always the adherence to the tradition that she was the nameless sinful woman that upsets people, and not the one that she was Mary of Bethany. If Biblical accuracy was really the issue, both would be under scrutiny. I think it's not so much that people are upset about the degree of Biblical accuracy, as it is that they have set their minds to protesting the show, and anything involving a prostitute makes good fodder to throw around and act offended by.

Besides, does the show really imply that she's a prostitute after all? Biblically, Jesus released her from demonic possession, which could easily be what phrases like "women of her kind" refer to. The only thing it wouldn't necessarily cover would be "her profession" ... but logically, Judas, who is in this scene (Biblically) wearing the mask of a holy pilgrim shocked by the extravagance of her wasted perfume, is more likely referring to her being a perfumer (which Mary of Bethany / Magdalene apparently is in the Bible), since perfume was a frivolous luxury of the time that would be far over the heads of poor people like Jesus and the Apostles. (Again, many productions opt to have her dressed like a tramp, but this doesn't mean that the WORK necessarily portrays her as such.)

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Wed Sep 05, 2007 7:41 pm

krisavalon

Off-Broadway Lead

Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:50 pmPosts: 242Location: Orange County, CA

Interesting points about Judas. I'm not too familiar with the early productions.

I'm not personally offended by the implications that Mary was a prostitute or any other facet of JC Superstar, but I was pointing out that regardless of what certain traditions may hold, it isn't Biblically accurate (since that is the point of the topic). Nowhere does scripture indicate Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, and such an identification was never popularized until Pope Gregory I advanced the idea in a sermon about redemption. Again, I don't have a problem with this identification being used for the sake of parable, but since it was asked how much of JC Superstar is Biblically accurate (and not, how much of JC Superstar is "traditionally" accurate), I felt that that was certainly worth noting. And as far as the implications in JC Superstar about Mary being a prostitute, you forgot the most obvious example, from "I Don't Know How To Love Him," in the line "I've had so many men before in very many ways..."

I could tell you didn't have a problem with it. I was just saying that the people who always claim to be upset by that are usually working from an agenda rather than a real principle, because they never seem to have an issue with other traditions portrayed in the show. It's just that that's the one that's easiest to make a scene over, so it's the one the haters run with.

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Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:38 pm

krisavalon

Off-Broadway Lead

Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:50 pmPosts: 242Location: Orange County, CA

Beagle On Stage wrote:

I could tell you didn't have a problem with it. I was just saying that the people who always claim to be upset by that are usually working from an agenda rather than a real principle, because they never seem to have an issue with other traditions portrayed in the show. It's just that that's the one that's easiest to make a scene over, so it's the one the haters run with.

Haha very true, and I think some people are just extremely uncomfortable with anything that portrays Judas as being even mildly sympathetic.

Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:48 pm

Jekkienumber24601

Broadway Legend

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:26 pmPosts: 1268Location: California

yes. there's nothing wrong at all with Superstar. if anything Godspell is the sacraligious one, but Christians are more willing to accept that, just because of the history and title of Jesus Christ Superstar. many have not seen a good production, but I encourage many doubters to see the Ted Neeley tour.

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